We suppose it was only a matter of time before GPS specialists Pharos broke into the smart phone market. The company has produced a number of navigation solutions for cars, laptops, and PDAs already, so the mobile phone must have seemed like the next natural step. And that is how the Pharos...

The smartphone space has become really competitive, especially in the past year, and it’s packed with a wide variety of great devices. However, as far as GPS-enabled smartphones go, Pharos is trying to outdo the competition by including navigation software on the handset, so you’re not required to sign up for a...

Earlier this month, we looked at the Pharos Traveler 127. The GPS-enabled smartphone offered the advantage of coming with its own navigation software and maps, which eliminated the need for fee-based location services and a cellular connection. Unfortunately, the benefit of this was lost on the clunky software and the device’s sluggish...

The number of portable navigation systems coming out these days is pretty astonishing, but the thing is, we’re finding that when it comes to the core navigation functions, they pretty much all offer the same thing–text- and voice-guided directions, extensive POI databases, automatic route recalculation, and so forth. So in order to...

At first glance, the Magellan RoadMate 1200 looks to be a good entry-level in-car GPS. It has a compact, no-fuss design that’s perfect for first-time buyers, and you get the most essential navigation features for an affordable $199.99. Sounds good, right? Not so fast, once on the road the RoadMate 1200 tells...

It’s been a little while since we’ve seen anything from Magellan, but in late October, the company revealed its latest in-car GPS, the Magellan Maestro 4370. A step-up model from the Magellan Maestro 4250, the portable navigation device (PND) offers a new user interface with a feature called OneTouch that gives you...

Design The RoadMate 1470 doesn’t deviate from the tried-and-true portable navigation device form factor. Measuring 3.3 inches deep by 5.2 inches tall by 7 inches wide, the RoadMate’s thinness easily makes this unit one of the most pocketable devices in its class. Like nearly all PNDs, the majority of the RoadMate’s visage...

According to Geocaching.com, “Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online.” The Magellan eXplorist GC is one of only a handful of paperless, purpose-built geocaching...